We'll fight for our athletes' eligibility at Asian Games, vow HK Olympic chiefs
Hong Kong athletes will need an SAR passport to take part at Incheon; those with permanent IDs can't compete
Hong Kong athletes will need to have an SAR passport if they wish to take part at the Incheon Asian Games in September with the Olympic Council of Asia set to follow International Olympic Council guidelines on eligibility.
But top Hong Kong Olympic Committee official Pang Chung said there was still a possibility that those athletes without one could still go if they were Hong Kong-born or had taken part in previous Asian Games.
"We will fight for those athletes who were born in Hong Kong or who have already represented the city at previous Asian Games," said Pang, secretary-general of the Hong Kong Olympic Committee, yesterday.
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"We think such athletes have a case and we will take it to the authorities [Olympic Council of Asia], but I'm afraid those athletes who don't fall within these two categories and who only hold permanent ID cards will not be eligible." Pang added.
There have been widespread fears, especially in team sports like cricket, rugby sevens and hockey, that the new rules would decimate their squads.
In cricket, only four of the 14-strong squad that almost took Hong Kong to the 2015 World Cup are eligible for the Asian Games under the passport-only rule.
The rugby sevens team, who won a silver medal at the last Games in Guangzhou, are better off with only a handful of players ineligible.